Rise of the Dark Sun

Grub-Bertha

Our story begins with Garbon, the Jourfieldian barbarian, and with his hunting pack (a collection of Jourfieldian warriors organized by four innate hunters, two experienced hunters and a hunt leader) that are hunting of a rouge summoner on the outskirts of Grimondes. Their encounter does not go well. Only Garbon and his hunt leader, Aredon, make it out in one piece with rest either being kill, transformed into newts or given a serve deardic illness.
As for rest of the group they were all in Biblosomb. Jethro, the void-touched half orc sorcerer, was looking in the Grand Library for a forgotten tome on the void. In time he was able to bluff and sneak his way into the restricted section and found what he was looking for. Meanwhile Diego Sanchez, the half elf battle bard, and Rico Santiago, the obtuse and crude human summoner, had started up their most recent performance in streets of Biblosomb just around from the corner the medical clinic that Rhee , the mute human healer oracle, lived and assisted. At the same time Garbon was bring his fellow hunters to be treated at the clinic. Rhee looked over the hunter and could not figure out what to do. Just as he was finishing his examinations, a squadron of maguses led by Captain Raoul and squadron of inquisitors lead by Captain Romlott surrounded the clinic, demanding that the Jourfieldians turn themselves in as well as Rhee and local priest or else they would burn down the clinic. Rhee and clinic staff tried to distract the guards while the Jourfieldians escaped out the back but to no avail. The guards attacked seriously injuring Rhee and putting the priests and Jourfieldian all into custody. They also arrested Rico, Diego and Jethro for their interference in the arrest.

They were all brought before Lord Harvel whom promptly gave them a demonstration of his power, crushing the hunt leader with his eidolon and then place them in prison. During the middle of the night Harvel’s daughter, Lady Aurora, came to their cells to speak to them. She claimed she had a vision of them and that she was there to free them. Hesitant at first, the group agreed and thus she set up the plan to have them shipped out to the slave pits of Bludhevl. Then along the way they would be actually sent to Nuwcroi to meet with a friend of her, King Deorc Sidhealf. The plan worked without a hitch and they group made it to Nuwcroi and into the company of King Deorc.

Upon meeting them, Deroc tells them that he has heard of these vagabonds that had given Harvel a headache. He claimed he was interested in employing them as agents of the state whom could work off the books and under the radar. The group accepted and when on a number of sanctioned mission for the Nuwcroi monarchy. They looked into the rumor that King Verias was building an army to possible spread the influence of Iamaton beyond its borders. They found the scientist and stop his creations only to have the scientist killed by an arrow from an unknown assassin. On another occasion they looked into the town plagued by zombies which they quickly cleared up.

Around this time they began see a pattern. Many of missions they sent one seemed involve a shady ring of slavers and smugglers that they had into ran a few times by this point. At one point they were present when this group raided an independent Jourfiedian settlement on outskirts of Nuwcroi. From here they were able to follow the organization’s trail to the deep woods of Celestaur were they ran into an exotic animal breeder and trainer who was able to point them to where he believed the smugglers headquarters were. Upon tracking down the headquarters they ran into Raoul whom had been tracking them, Aurora and the slavers. He called for a truce. He claimed he was far different than his companion Romlott who seemed to revel in the violence and oppression. The group and Raoul’s troops made their way into some abandoned gladiator pits on the outskirts of Vereauk. It was here that they ran into not only a large grouping of slavers but also the ring leader. In the ensuing battle Raoul sacrificed himself so that group could escape. During the fight; they found a pendant on the ring leader that had the same symbol as that of the Nuwcroi royal ensign.

The group confronted Deorc about this matter and found out that Deorc was in fact involved with the slavers and that he himself used many of these slaves for strange rituals. The group was placed under house arrest but managed to escape with help of their new companion: Barnibus Dalison and two mercenaries hired by Jehtro’s mother, Wallace Broch & Vincent Fyre. There escape was also assisted by the tremendous battle that was occurring on the outskirts of Nuwcroi involving Barnibus’s gathered rouge Jourfieldian forces and a group of fighters that Deorc called his Five Points.

After Nuwcroi, the group fled to Cenerpexa, where Barnibus said he could broker the group, Aurora and himself passage of the continent with a friend of his. He suggested the group lay low while he negotiated the trip. The group was unable to do this and ended up running into a group of thugs beating up what seemed to be a defenseless robed man. Upon their intervention the group found that man in question was actually a Tengu named Jaerth Barkilon and he was far from defenseless, changing into a giant raven once the group had distracted the thugs. Soon after Barnibus retuned and informed them that his friend boat had docked and that within next few days they be able to leave. In meantime he suggested the group move themselves onto his friend’s boat: the Argenteus Delphini. In their last few days on Grub-Bertha they group ended up crossing a local crime lord and ended up conforming a fairly intelligent half-ogre known as Raizin the Bull; a knee-breaker for the crime lord. Raizin had them badly beaten but luckily the group was saved by Jaerth whom came to the group aid much like they had come to his. Also right before they left they came across Romlott; half-crazed and covered in cuts and burns rambling incoherently about his “dark mistress”.

Upon leaving they finally met Pink-Eye Morganza: the foppish and fun loving captain of the Argenteus Delphini. They set sail with him and his crew of misfits, dodging and fighting off a few hostile pirates along the way. They were making their way to the Riensese Islands; a small chain of islands that was two week journey from Grub-Bertha and the last sizeable supply hub and ship repair-yard for near a month worth of sailing after it.

While sailing Barnibus reveals that he is part of a group of artifact hunters and legend investigators known as the Order of The Crystalline Rose. He also reveal that Rico’s father, Jehtro’s mother, the priest that raised Rhee and Aurora’s mother are or were all members.

Riensese Islands

On way the Riensese Islands, the group began familiarized themselves with the ship’s many colorful characters and personalities. Rhee formed a close bond with the elven alchemist, Koren. Jethro spent much of his time with the ship dwarven and human blacksmiths; Beager and William. Diego and Garbon, whom the group had begun to call Gary, worked under the ship’s First-mate, a large and stern catfolk named Shercan, doing rigging and learning bits and piece of the sailing trade. Rico in mean time was given the task of being a kitchen boy and also took up sword training with Second-Mate Quale, a very skill half-elf swordswoman and ship’s chief combat trainer.

Upon arriving on the Reinsese Island of Donthal, the trade hub of the seven island chain, the group disembarked and took off to different tasks. Rhee was asked to come and assistance in negotiations with local trade council regarding a problem that Morganza had heard they needed fixing. Jehtro joined William and Beager in the repairing of a cannon and various other metal goods for the ship. Gary ended up accompanying Quale to help moved some cargo that ship had agreed to transport to one of outlying islands. Rico and Diego ended up going to the entertainment district and managed to get themselves a multi-night gig at the Flaming Pole; a nightclub owned by dwarven rock star turned businessman Bobby Brownstone.

Rhee finds out that the warehouses on the Palien Island have seen a series of robberies that all have similar m.o: large hole blown into the side of the warehouse and then a rapid military precision strike force that seemed focused on the procurement of medical supplies, food & drink, easy to fences items, and gold and gems. Also there had been string of high end robberies of numerous valuables from upper-class homes. Jethro’s trip proved very educational both for the betterment of his blacksmithing know how but also because he ran into a group of strange fellows that seemed wielding swords that all had same insignia: a large red cross. Gary also heard of these robberies but also saw evidence of same group of smugglers that the group had run into on Grub-Bertha. Also Rico and Diego got a healthy dose of free drinks and a chance to jam with Bobby. In the days to come the group would end up doing a number of highly successful performances at the clubs, were present at one of warehouses robberies, Rico got laid and subsequently robbed by a beautiful dancer called Desria and also they ran into a group of smugglers. In time they were able to trace down the warehouse robbers to Berirfeilain Island, an agricultural island on the most eastern end of the chain.

On Berirfeilian they were able to track down who they believe the robber’s leader was; a young man named Iman Siniq. Thinking they had got the drop on him in a field, the group ended up being surround by close to one hundred well trained soldiers. As Iman was about give some swift “justice” to Rico, man on horse rode up and stopped him. Introducing himself as General Marcus La Croix, he invited the group to join him at his camp. Arriving at the fort, the group saw a decent sized army of well armored and similar dressed soldiers doing drills and running about a well-built but primitive fort. As they walked, General Marcus explained he was once a military leader in Grimondes but fled in aftermath of civil war, intent on saving his daughter since he had lost his wife during the fighting. He also explained that will he was robbing warehouses, he insisted that there was never any causalities and he never stole from any legitimate shippers, a fact that he said had put him in contention with a group of smugglers, the same smugglers the group had faced on a number of occasion. Speaking with the group he soon invited them to diner since they were all Grub-Berthian themselves.

Coming into the dining facility the group was introduced to General Marcus’s guests: Captain Kerdak Bonefist; king of the pirates and one of the most powerful men in the world, and his old friend Ricardo Ajoana de Sota Estevez Santiago III; Rico’s father. After diner Marcus’s guests left and he introduced the group to his daughter Persephone or as Rico knew her: Desria. Soon after this a loud explosion happened and the back wall of the dining facility was felled. Iman walked into the hall and revealed he was in the employ of the smugglers that Marcus was robbing and claimed that it was time for Marcus to repay what owed. He released a large group of golem into the camp and fled. The group helped fight off the golems but there were a severe amount of causalities.

After the battle the group took their leave of Marcus and attempted to pick up the trial of Iman. They quickly picked up his trail in an old abandoned warehouse. Inside they managed to find and confront both Iman and the smugglers’ leader: Quinton Erkerson. After rapid but rough battle they beat Erkerson and Iman only to find that Erkerson was only a shadow clone and the real Erkerson had escaped with Iman in the aftermath. Luckily the group was able to trace the smuggling operation to Merakent Island, the western most island in chain. Once there, they happened upon a cabin that housed a secret laboratory were they found research notes of a Dr.Viden Skabens; the man building the golems. He seemed to be a major player in smugglers’ business. Also they happened upon an area of island infested with a variety of spiders that the doctor had been using in his experiments. This encounter did not go well but in the end the group succeeds and was able catch the scent of the Iman, Dr.Viden and the smugglers. They had head to the island of Melammuur, a small continent that was roughly two months of sailing from where they were currently.

Melammuur

Upon arriving in Melammuur the group departs into the kingdom of Arusammuur and its capital city, Alors De Mersa, a grand and civilized metropolis that was full of beautiful gardens and colorful buildings; a place of culture and the arts. Setting out to find out some information on the island the group learns a few things: the island experienced a major war about 30 years ago, summoning is largely looked down upon by general population and that there little to no civil discourse or malcontent. The first part had them curious; the second part left them bewildered and third raised the ire of Rico and Diego. After this Rhee split off to do some healing. He found out a few more things: religion was largely outlawed on the island and also that the branch of the church he associated with was actually a heretical offshoot of the main branch of the faith.

Settling in for the night, Rhee goes to check on Aurora and Barnibus only to find Barnibus chocking Aurora to death. Shocked, Rhee begins to question Barnibus only to see Aurora rise up from the bed and come back to life. Barnibus explains that Aurora is a direct conduit to the gods of prophecy and destiny. He goes on to explain that this connection is very draining to Aurora and thus she needs a system of checks and balances to hold herself in control. Barnibus say the process that Rhee saw was Barnibus “killing Aurora” so that she could absorb a sprit guide to help her control her powers. These guides were all wise men from the Jourfieldian people. Confused but trusting in Barnibus’s wisdom, Rhee accepts Barnibus’s answer and swore to not speak of it to anyone else.

After seeing this Rhee joins the other is resting for the night. They are all awoken in the early morning by sound of rustling in the street. When they arrived outside they found that city was being attacked by out of control eidolons. Quickly dispatching them, the group is just as rapidly gathered up by the local police force and brought in for questioning. Rico is especially pressed hard due to fact that he was a summoner. But just as quickly as they were gathered up they are brought to see the queen.

Once before the queen the group is asked by her to help. She sees in them the capability to help her people and asks if they be willing to help her captain of the guard look into the eidolon problem. She claims that this has happening for the last five or ten years and has gotten worse and worse in the last few months. Hesitant at first the team agrees mostly at Rhee’s instance and Jehtro curiosity into the whole situation. But in time the group splits due to Rico and Diego’s all out dedication to fighting the man but after a day of wild adventuring the entire group all ends up join back together and meeting up with Captain Marshall: the exiled captain of the guard, a grizzled war vet and an all-out hater of summoners. He and Rico have a great deal of friction between them that quickly spills over to the rest of the group but the tension does not ever cross over to anything to violent due to their general understanding that the two sides needed each other.

Arriving on the other side of the island, Isuduru; the desolate and barbaric side of the island, the group see a much different landscape than Arusammuur. The lush fields and well-built home of Arusammuur change into the dying and decaying Isuduru; full of death and desolation; with cloudy skies and barren plains. The group soon learned that even the dirt was cursed: the dead did not even rest here, they would rise to undeath unless burnt and buried very quickly. They also learned that the lake between the two nations was not always a lake and was the site of perhaps the most bloody battled of the war and many people believed the blight originated from the lake.

Jehtro and Rico both take off to look into the lake while rest group asked around to see if they could get more information. While in lake the Jehtro and Rico track down a strange disturbance that Jehtro decides to tune into while Rico served as support. Meanwhile topside a large batch of rouge eidolons descended upon the village at edge of the lake. Jethro eventually taps into the disturbance which causes massive amount of negative energy to begin seep into him with Rico using his summons to serve as a conduit to stop Jethro from dying. Once Jehtro breaks though the negative energy and latent psychic disturbance he simple heard one word being said again and again. “FREEDOM.FREEDOM.FREEDOM….” Jehtro and Rico promptly leave the lake just as a large burst of black energy come out of the lake and streaks across the sky toward the barbarians’ capital.

The next day the group and Marshall’s men ride out towards the capital and end spending the night in a small town in middle of the territory. That night was an especially stormy one and group all decided to hold up for the night except for Rico and Diego whom decided to go out and try score some drugs and thus attempted to track down the local herbalist, whom also happened to be the local chief. After a brief but unpleasant encounter with the herbalist the group reconvenes and goes to bed only to be awakened by noise from outside. Awaken they see Marshall looking out the window and in the moonlight they see numerous dark figures prowling in the town square. Marshall notches a magical arrow and launches it and proceeds to blow up approximately half of the prowlers. Meanwhile a grouping of them launches into the bedrooms, and attacks the rest of the group. Up close they notice that prowlers are covered in a very thick black sludge and vary in size. Nerveless they quickly defeat that initial group only to find that they are villagers of the town. They group fly off and begin track down the source of the disturbance and happen upon the herbalist on outskirt of town. They ask him what happening and he explains that he made deal with a man to let him experiment on the town people in exchange for promise that process could help the townspeople defend them. The herbalist than reveals he is patient zero.

After a very difficult fight the team defeats him. As he lies dying he simply kept saying he did it to help his people and then he rapidly begins to decompose into nothingness. Just as group is heading away the ground beneath them shakes and a large shadowy figure appears. He calls himself Calfroth and claims he and his brothers and sisters are the harbingers of the dark days to come. He claims he could crush the group like ants beneath his boot but is too amused to do so. He warns them that a change is coming and soon the dark sun will rise. After that he disappears and group and Marshall rides out from town fast on the heels of Aurora and Barnibus, whom had fled in the night. They also rode quickly due to the journal they found in the herbalist’s hut detailing his transactions with a man he called Viden, the man that supplied him with the virus that had infected the people and also was the man that group was trying track down on this island.

The group rides into a large canyon in pursuit of Aurora and Barnibus. They happen upon Barnibus whom looks very injured and then they find Aurora, suspended in mid-air and surrounded by a sphere of powerful negative energy. Marshall is able to open them a path to Aurora and then the group proceeds to fight the spirits that are housed within Aurora. Once they defeat them the group is surrounded in a bright flash of light and they see Aurora in her true oracle form: that of being on enlightened skin with bits of shadow and vibrant colors swirling around her.

In this form Aurora leads the group on a trek through time and gives them a glimpse into various moments in history: Barnibus’s defeat at the hand of Wallen Sidhealf, former king of Nuwcroi; Deorc’s formation of the Five Points and various deals and gifts he gave them as well as the way that Deorc killed his father and all his advisors. Then she told them of coming rise of the Dark Sun and that in the worlds time of need heroes would arise, dark servants will rise and fall, and the world while either see a great holocaust or new and beautiful future. At that they all awoke, with these visions in their head and Aurora looking close to ten years older for the experience.

From here the group headed to the barbarian capital. Upon arrival Marshall leave the group to their duties. He claims he and barbarian do not get along very well and also saying that he was going respond to reports of increased activity at the lake. Inside the city the group manages to not only hear stories about the war and tales of the vile Black Cloaks Society but also they received information of fact that Iman has been spotted in the city in the company of two men; a athletics and studious looking man and a large well-dressed but brutish man. Working off of this tip the group is able to track down the men that Iman was purported to be seen with. They decided to attack the carriage that two were seen riding in.
Setting off to enact their plan the group surrounds the carriage and prepares them for a fight. But instead of fight the group instead is introduced to Daniel Aesmer and Wallace Petros; Viden Skabens’s henchmen and main distributors whom the group also finds out are his greatest creation: golems that can assume a human form and can think and feel for themselves. After a long but interesting talk; the group is imprisoned; except for Rico, who is ported out by his father.

The group awakes in prison and the situation seems dire but their fortune changed when Wallace Broch and Vincent Fyre, once again hired by Jehtro’s mom, had arrived to bust them out. After a bit of hijinks the group is freed form the pits and Rico is ported back to their location and they managed to fight their way through a lake-cave octopus, guards and bronze golems. Then they set off all in the pursuit of Iman and Viden’s representatives. In hot pursuit they end up just missing them all departing and instead they head out of the city at the request of Marshall. He had sent for them to assist since the problem at the lake seemed to be getting much worse.

As they arrived they saw that a large storm cloud had gathered over they lake and the sky was beginning to streak with purple and black lighting. Also they saw that Marshall had gathered all 1500+ men of his men that guarded and patrolled the wilderness. As they prepared themselves the surface of the lake began to bubble with light and then all hell broke loose as over 30,000 eidolons arose from the lake and began to attack. But the eidolons were far from alone being joined by numerous summoned creatures all of them wrenched from some dark place. Then just as tide began to stop a massive claw arose from the lake and slammed itself onto the land. This claw was followed by another, then a massive fanged head, then a mighty and enormous body with four powerful whirling tentacles. It then let forth a roar that shook the very ground then spread out a pair of massive wings and took to the sky.

At this Marshall turned and begins to take off his clothes, revealing a glowing wound in his chest filled with very large and beating black heart surrounded by brilliant ruby and gold energy. Ripping out the heart, he tells the party to keep it safe and away from Vul Krein Rozol aka the beast that had just appeared and to gather up the remain villagers and try to get them to safety in Alors De Mersa. At that Marshall form begins to shift and he becomes a were-dragon and takes off to the sky to fight the beast off.

At this point the group begins to gather together the remaining villagers and sail off fighting off rouge eidolons and monsters along the way, even at one point confronting a Lusca that they lucky were able to dodge. After a very difficult trek the group makes it back with about 200 or so villagers of near the 1000 they had loaded up. Safe within the city the group could only watch as countless creatures swarmed at it walls. At one point there was break in the fight and Rhee saw Marshall’s changed form plummeting from the sky and smack into the exterior dome shield the city.

Flying up to speak to him, Rhee learns from Marshall that Vul Krein Rozol had been rebuked and had flow off but he was severely wounded and was likely to not gain its strength back soon. Then Rhee helplessly watched Marshall drag his bloody and broken body off the side of the dome, throwing himself into the masses below if only to stay their numbers for a little while.

Eventually the fighting dies down. The shield had held and the city and it residents were safe. And then Lusca from earlier arose from the lake and clamp itself into dome, dragging it hulking body over the dome and allowing the 6000 or 7000 remaining eidolons to reach the other side of the island. The group soon left Melammuur, their sprits broken and dreams haunted by horrors they saw and the trials they endured.

Kyndrill

While sailing, Barnibus ends up angering some members of the crew and when the group comes to his aid they are all asked to leave ship at next available stopping point. This point turns out to be Kyndrill and they group along with Koren, Ferin, William Caecus and Cernic all depart and decide to travel together for a while.

On the island the group hears tell of a beast that been attacking in the night that some of native people call the Junga. Rhee himself investigates the matter and finds an elven healer working with local natives. He tells him of the rumors and actions of the Junga and the plight of the native population. He also reveals he is part of the Order of Crystalline Rose and had been sent there to study and watch over the native people.

Meanwhile the rest of the group goes and get tattoos from local magical tattoo artist named Enaid, a well-spoken and skilled native of the island. After they get some work done they go and joined Rhee in investigating Junga and proceed to ask around about it with the natives. In time they track down its path and by that night they are able find it/him. It was Enaid. He hoped inspire his people to form up and expel the intruding outsiders that were taking over the island and poisoning its lands. Luckily Rhee was able to talk to him and convinced him to stay any violence until a more peaceful solution could be found.

After this encounter the group left to go back to their inn only to find that innkeeper had been killed. They rushed to check on the others and found them all ok; all of them except for Barnibus whom had been shot five times in back by an archer that group had come to be familiar with: Deorc’s silent assassin Eilian. Rhee desperately tried to heal him but the damaged seemed to be not just physical but also spiritual and the group had to watch as Barnibus slowly died. Upon his death Aurora had an episode with caused the group to be teleported to a vast artic wasteland of Kalamorna.

Kalamorna

Waking up in Kalamorna, the group is quite surprised and very bewildered. Seeing a form off in the distance the conscious ones prepared themselves for battle. But as figure comes closer it hails to them and informs them that he is not hostile. Walking over the group see that this man is definitely the largest human they have ever seen with him standing well over 8ft tall. He was also accompanied by a very large wolf. He loaded the unconscious ones on the wolf and gave his cloak to conscious ones, telling them it was lucky he saw them or they likely would have frozen to death. He led them through the blizzardy tundra, stopping and storing them once or twice so he could go off and clearing away a squadron of frost giants. In time he led them to his home where they are all able to rest and get out of the cold. He invites them to stay for an awhile and look around his home, warning them not to touch anything due to fact that many of the items are quite dangerous.

Waking up in the morning the group is given an official tour and their host tells them his name: Yorrick Sidhealf; the exiled prince of Nuwcroi and Deorc’s younger brother. As the group begin to question him about his life Yorrick reveals that he once was an adventurer but retired after the death of his travel companions and eventually ended in Kalamorna; a place he calls a nexus that lays just on the outside of the regular world. He also reveal that he is actually a demi-god both bless by gods with incredible power and curse to see the thing around him wither and die. He also claimed that he is somewhat of a benefactor of the group, willing them some of his favor due fact that in recent years he had cut himself off from much of his divine inheritance. After a heartfelt and long discussion on the nature of life and power he also revealed his knowledge of order of the Crystalline Rose and his faithful trek there. When asked why did not quest out and stop his brother and evil in world he simply responded that the world he once lived in was no longer his own and thus he had not the will or desire to return there.

After saying some goodbyes, Yorrick channels his divinity and transported the group to Profir Del Gradous, the content that Aurora and rest of the gang where on and the place group had intend on going to so they could procure a boat.

Profir Del Gradous

Arriving in the hacienda that Aurora and rest of the gang are renting, the group is quite confused and so is Aurora. After some helloes the group learns that had been gone for close to six months and that the world has changed a great deal that since then. All of the rulers of Grub-Bertha had disappeared, Kyndrill has ended up being destroy in both a civil war and a freak force of nature, General Marcus and his army had returned to Grub-Bertha, Morganza and his crew and competed in the Free Captain Regatta and subsequently the Argentius Delphni was destroyed and he and his crew were marooned in the Shackle Islands and Melammuur had become a very unpleasant place since the lake rift had opened. William had taken to working for the rodeo, Ferin had taken to working for a security system company, Cernic was working a bouncer and prized fighter and Koren had disappeared about three months ago. Also the group was informed that there had been a slew of serial murders all across the island.

Resting up for the night the group set out to find Koren, track down a boat and investigate the murders. Looking into the murders and Koren absence eventually led to the same conclusion: both answers to both problems could likely be found in the Undercity. Also Rico and Diego end meeting Chimerai O’Shea; a mover shaker in the massive metropolis, whom said she look into the possibility of getting them a booking at one of the many nightclubs or music establishments. Also it is believed that murders are being enacted by vampires whom are believed to live in an ancient city far beneath the surface.

As night fall the group head to the red light district, Bramadon, where many of the murders had occurred. While investigating the group manages to track a powerful undead presence that turns out to be Garath Heilsmen; a wander in the Order of the Straight Line. Meeting with group he informs them that their task is much the same as his but also warns them it would be best for them not to interfere with this matter. Around this time Rico and Diego whom had gone off on their own ended running into the murder. Diego pursued him but lost him when duct through door and disappeared. Rico in meantime looked to assist the victim, but she quickly turned and tried to eat him. Rico was nearly beaten until a figure fell from the sky and killed the new quasi-vampire ghoul. Just as quickly as the man appeared he also disappeared. Meeting up with the rest of the gang, they all head to rest up.

The next day Rico and Diego break off to have a meeting with Bobby Brownstone. At the meeting Bobby gives them a contract to work as his band’s opening act and the two gladly accept. After the meeting the two run into Romlott though not much comes of the encounter. Then they rejoined with Rhee and went to investigate more on the serial killer and Koren’s disappearance. They headed to the Undercity: the sprawling and massive city that lay beneath the topside of the continent and area that all workers lived. The eventually they found the home of the Order and tried to get in but to no avail. Garath meets with them and warned them to be careful if they keep insisting on prying into the murders. The group then headed home and ready themselves for the next step in their adventure. Also they found a head that had been placed on their doorstep warning them to not look into murders anymore.